Use TextExpander to share templates between custom actions

There are often cases where you might want to setup several different similar actions in Drafts. As an example, a teacher wanting append to separate journal files in Dropbox for each of their classes.

If you create these actions with custom templates with a timestamp or other information and formatting added, then later decide you want to change the template, you would have to make the same changes in multiple custom actions – which admittedly is not fun.

First, create a snippet/shortcut in TextExpander to represent the template you want to use in your actions. This snippet can contain Drafts' tags. Here is an example which adds a timestamp before appending the draft:

Once you have created the snippet, be sure to run "Refresh TextExpander Snippets" in Drafts' setting to get the latest snippet library from TextExpander.

Set "Expand snippets in action templates" to "Fenced", then configure your actions to have only the shortcut for your snippet template, wrapped in <<>> braces. Like:

Configure as many actions using the "snippet template" as desired.

When the actions are run, the shortcut will be expanded – any Drafts' tags in the template evaluated, the action completed.

Then later, if you decide to alter your preferred timestamp format, or add other formatting to your template, you only need to update the snippet in TextExpander – and not edit multiple actions in Drafts.

This technique works equally as well in Evernote, Dropbox and other action types.